St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-31
WOMEN WHO CAN FENCE
Why They Use the Fotls and How
They Do 1t.
The Foil an Effective Aid to Beauty
and Health.

An, uiauaul. you VIII never make "
fencer until you abandon those abomnable
heels. So saying the polite fencing-mas
ter laid aside his mask and pointed his foil.
half scornfully, half sadly, at the little
blocks which projected from a point near
the middle of the soles of his pupils Slip
pers. and which had just tripped her up in
lunge. Even in her humliating position
for she had completely lost her balance
the little actress whose fencing lesson was
thus unseasonably Interrupted. presented
an uncommonly pleasing picture. Her
cheek was flushed and her eyes were brighG
with the eXhiliaration OF the exercise: the
violence of the last lunge and the disastrous
result had set few locks OF golden hair
free, and the close-htting costume displayed
figure every line OF which told of health
and harmonious muscular development
The costume was certainly one which
would have gained the young woman APP
plause on the stage. 1t consisted OF white
flannel jacket, double-breasted and padded
across the chest TO deaden the force of her
aSsalants JhrustS. A short skirt. with blue
and white stripes. reaching just to the knees
allowed the fullest freedom of movement.
A pair of silk stockings. gloves with long
gauntlets that protected the wrists, and the
the costume.
AS may be supposed the pupil did not
have much difficulty in placatng the Of
Tended master and the lesson went on. But
! in future the high heels were discarded and
III their place came slippers without any
heels at all, which are the only proper foot
gear for either man or woman while fenc-
ing. Soon the master was able to say with
triumph of his pupil: 'She handles the
foil as naturally as if it We're needle.
There are not many of my male pupils
against whom would not match her, if
she only had their strength. It's a pity
that more women don't fence. |
like to teach them. Their movements
are naturally more graceful than
those of men, and it is easier to train them
to execute thrusts with delicacy, but when
it comes to an actual bout with the foiIs
they lose their heads Goodness and judg-
ment are the essential characteristics of
good swordsman, and my experience in
teaching women is that these are qualities
which women do not possess i'll any high
degree"
The number Of women who handle the
fOilS is larger than is generally supposed
Even in New York, where fencing has be-
come popular amusement only within the
last few years. fencing masters find plenty
of female pupils, though these are generally
actresses. Actresses are credted-probably
justly-with taking more care of their
beauty than any other class of women.
! Now, women who are really careful of their
| beauty should not neglect their health, and
no exercise is more healthful than fencing
1t makes the carriage erect and graceful: it
| gives suppleness and elasticity to the mus
cles; it has the eXhilaratiOn that makes eX-
erciSe palatable-in fact. if woman prizes
a clear skin and well-rounded figure
foil and mask will prove her most effective
aids; and this the young women of the
stage have not been slow to discover
| Then again it not infrequently happens
that an actress is assigned to some part that
requires her to make a display of swords
| manship on the stage. Then she goes TO a
fencing master. and after few lessons she
| is able to make graceful exhibition out OF
hat would otherwise have been bungling
and uncouth scene.
In Continental Europe the women are
more fully awake to the advantages of
fencing than they are in this country. The
empress Of Austria, whose daring horse
manship. love for dogs and general sport
ing pr0clivltleS are so well known, adds an
admirable proficiency with the foils to her
other accomplishments. All the fencing
teachers of Paris have their feminine pupils,
who are by no means restricted to the
actresses. Young women of the highest
classes in society fence as regularly as they
ride or dance. In fact, if it were not for
fencing lesson in the morning midi + lf tthenf
would feel less inclination to dance in the
evening.
No actual duel between women is on
record Notwithstanding the notorious paint
ing of IAN Affair of Honor which ora
IN tQd col Of
ago. Nevertheless, no one who knows the
vagarieS in which the women of the French
capital sometimes indulge would be sur
prsed to read of a sanguinary encounter
between pair of them at Vincennes or in
the forest of st. Germain
II remember when | was q young pro-
vost in one of the big fencing schools in
Paris" said the same teacher quoted be-
fore, ''what a sensation it used to cause
when the hour for the ladies' lessons came
All the men except the master and myse
We're put out, but how they did beg to be
allowed to stay. But the master was mex
orab!e. He was an old soldier and be-
lieved in discipline. But they used to hang
about the doors. and look through the key
holes. One young fellow hid in closet
once, but he was found out and elected in
great disgrace"
the New York Athletic club, said the other
day that he never had so many applications
rom women WHO wanted 10 take lessons a.
he has had since Mrs. Langtry became his
pupil. NJ. Senac is not her first master; she
has taken lessons in London, and is now
more expert in the use of the foil thar
woman often becomes. The writer was
allowed to be present at one of her lessons
not long ago. NJ. Senac comes to her house
in West TwentyThrd street every morning
while she is in town. He is due at 10
o'clock. 'And T. said Mrs. Langtry.
often don't rise until he is announced; for
you can imagine that sometimes ii is
struggle to get up for lesson, after haviI
worked hard the evening before. But tiud
L am the better all day for the exercise: so
summon up my courage and tumble into my
costume
Mrs. Langtry's costume consists of a
close-itting waistcoat of white buckslin
large baggy trousers of white flannel that
descend to the knee, and white stockings
She is tOo experienced a Swordswoman To
think OF indulging in any extravaganceS in
the way OF heels. She wears buckskin
gloves, but if her master were not an ex-
tremely careful mau she would be obliged
to wear heavily padded glove at least on
her right hand, for one sometimes gets
rap with the foil over the knuckles that
makes the whole arm tingie.
The first half of the lesson was Just over
when the writer was admitted the other
morning. Mrs. Langtry had thrown wrap
over her shoulders as a protection after the
heat of exercise, while Senac was pacing the
floor in all the glory of black velvet cos
tune. After a few minutes of rest work
was resumed, and the famous beauty
rubbed the resin on her soles, put Oh her
mask. and fell into position. with the left /